Nelly and Ashanti Confirm They’re Back Together

Nelly confirmed that he is back with Ashanti. On the latest episode of Philo TV’s Boss Moves with Rasheeda and Kirk, Nelly was asked at the beginning of the interview whether he and Ashanti are “back together.” At first, the question was met with a good deal of laughter, as well as some jokes from Nelly about the lack of a “warm-up” or “softening” before Rasheeda proceeded to ask that kind of question. 

As it turned out, Nelly confirmed rumors that had been circulating for a while. “Yeah, we cool again,” he said. “We cool again. I think it surprised both of us, though. It wasn’t anything that was, like, I don’t think planned. I think we both was pretty much doing what we do. But sometimes being separate, you understand one another more.”

Nelly went on to explain that in this particular situation, time and the passing of time played a very important role in showing him how every individual can be “defensive sometimes in our own relationships.” As Nelly emphasized, this time, he and Ashanti face “no pressure” as they did earlier in their careers and relationships. In addition to mentioning relationships in general, he also talked about his grandparents’ 61-year relationship and his parents’ divorce, per Complex.

As well as sharing his thoughts on marriage, Nelly also offered some perspective, namely that he intends for it to be a lifelong commitment if he were ever to make such a leap, he expects to commit to someone for the rest of his life. “I think for me, because I’ve never been married, my goal is to die married,” he said. “It’s not to have been married.”

Although rumors of Ashanti and Nelly getting back together were first circulating earlier this year, the two have been romantically linked since 2003, and they also collaborated on music back in the 2000s, including a song called “Body on Me,” released in 2008.

Before their public and contentious split in 2013, the R&B singer dated rapper Nelly for a decade. In her single “Scars,” Ashanti documented Nelly’s infidelity, which she said brought about their split. This song was featured on her album Braveheart, released in 2014. In the meantime, Nelly moved on with model Shantel Jackson, who previously dated boxer Floyd Mayweather. The two appeared together on a reality series on BET and became engaged. 

However, Ashanti hinted that she thought the relationship was only for show and probably to cause her some annoyance as well. Nelly and Jackson split up after seven years together. Their breakup was attributed to growing apart, according to Jackson. And Nelly’s initial split from Ashanti was the last time she publicly claimed someone else.